Letter: Casino could hurt Saratoga County

I am writing to state two key reasons why Saratoga Springs does not meet the criteria to be selected as the location for a resort gaming facility: it lacks community support, and it would not yield the best positive economic impact.
The best estimates indicate that a majority of the citizens in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County do not want an RGF: 58 percent cqof city residents and 54 percent cqof county residents voted against the November ballot proposition. The City Council, in response to the community, passed a resolution against expanded gambling. Therefore, Saratoga Springs lacks the community support needed for an RGF.
Saratoga County is already prosperous. It is home to the largest construction project in the U.S. (GlobalFoundaries), unemployment is less than 6 percent, and per capita income ranked seventh of 62 counties in the state.
Median home value was $223,100 in 2009, and real estate taxes were 1.37 percent of that.
By contrast, Montgomery County’s income ranked 45th of 62 counties, median home value in 2009 was $96,900 and taxes were 2.49 percent of that, causing Montgomery County to be ranked in the top 10 highest taxed counties in the U.S. (Public Policy Institute website) and the fifth highest taxed county in the U.S. (Carla Fried, Money Watch, May 18,2011).
Unemployment in Montgomery County is estimated at 7.0-7.9 percent by the state Department of Labor.
Whereas Montgomery County might benefit from a RGF, one may actually Saratoga Springs’ economy by drawing patrons inside and away from local businesses, as depicted in the film “Pushing Luck” (http:
/www.pushingluckfilm.org).
Therefore, siting an RGF in Saratoga would not yield the best positive economic impact, which is the ostensible reason for this program. Tom Barkley, Ph.D.
Saratoga Springs